Flashforward
by LittleRuky
Summary: Having lived through the end of the world once more, Ichigo realizes that everything is just a means to an end. And that end is now. Or simply another version of what could have been. 686, a story full of salt and squashed hopes.


**Because fk that ending, I'm not even going to go over the I-am-so-disappointed parts. I've been fueled by rage for the better part of this, I swear and I haven't even written anything for the Bleach fandom. But now I've stayed up half the night to cook this up because the dark side was too strong this time.**

 **This proud member of the Salty Squad brings you this small fic in the hopes that you would enjoy it and forget about The Chapter for a little while. I'm definitely not against what ultimately Kubo decided to go along with in the end, but I'm one hundred percent sure the ending of _such a great manga_ could have been handled _way_ better. And if some of the rumors on tumblr are true and this is Kubo's revenge or whatever, I applaud him but I'm kind of sad that I found myself just a bystander in this battlefield. As everyone else. **

**Of course this is implied Ichiruki because Salty4ever, but I wanted to try to answer as many of the remaining questions the best I could. So leaving aside this rather large and incoherent rant,**

 **Please enjoy! :D**

* * *

That cut should have killed him. He should have died lots of times over this never ending war, but somehow Ichigo learned to not expect miracles of this magnitude. And he was out of time, he could feel it. That _thing_ just kept transforming and emerging into forms even more absurd every time he thought he had ended his life. But Yhwach was resilient – some snarky part of Ichigo's mind kept claiming that he and Yhwach had this kind of thing in common, but in those tense moments he could barely spare a snarky thought in return for that traitor.

He never thought that Aizen would think twice about helping them or him accepting that man's help, but with Renji out of commission he found himself with no choice and as they said, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Of course, 'my friend' was as loose a term as killing Yhwach in that moment, but Ichigo did not need to feel any more hopeless than he was already getting. He supposed that he might as well give up now, but that was just placing a stone on the already dug grave and flinging himself and his friends and family into it. Yhwach would surely enjoy dropping the dirt over them.

But it seemed that Aizen had a plan – or anything resembling one for that matter and for Ichigo it was enough to decide in those edgy moments that he should go back to what he had done for the better part of this Shingami affair and wing it and hope for the best. The former traitor had saved his life and despite wanting to be shocked about it, Ichigo just swung his sword and didn't even acknowledge Zangetsu's familiar form as he concentrated on cutting Yhwach. He got a feeling that it would be for the last time, but that was a dream at best. He had entered this war as a hero, but now he only hoped for a quiet end. It was stupid to say that, but he was getting rapidly tired of this shit, especially since he was sure that Yhwach was waiting to pull another universe-breaking power out of his ass that he couldn't hope to ever get around to understanding much less devise a strategy against.

His eyes widened when his mind registered the fact that he had indeed cut through something solid and he instinctively looked up at that blackened face. Yhwach was wearing a shocked expression, but Ichigo was surely more surprised than him. His chest suddenly heaved with hope, but even that did not last long in this fucked up world he was living – or being dead – in. Despite them previously being all over his body, Yhwach's normal eyes were in their rightful place and Ichigo's own were unwillingly locked on them even as that infernal black goo sprayed all over him like a bad imitation of jelly. And he felt a force pulling at the back of his mind that got increasingly stronger the longer he looked in Yhwach's eyes. He wasn't able to look away and he realized too late that this was all a trap and damn it he fell for it like the stupid idiot he was.

There was a particularly blinding light and it felt like a long time before he could blink again, but his gut was telling him that he'd get tired of doing that in a bit. There were flashed of images passing before his eyes that wouldn't normally make sense, but of course they had to in this case and he understood all of it even without any explanation for his usually dense brain. The images were too colorful and strident and it made his eyes water so he blinked and whenever he did that they changed, becoming even more strident and aggravating. So he blinked again and again and he was getting tired of this shit too so he decided to think about what these images meant and was surprised to get the answer again rather quickly.

 _These were possible futures_ , a voice at the back of his mind that resembled Yhwach's rather unnervingly well whispered. All those possible things that could happen would now that the world wasn't destroyed because of the mad Quincy and were being presented right in front of his eyes with disturbing clarity. He saw himself, his friends, sometimes he was alone, other times surrounded by them. There were new faces here and there, other times someone would be missing, but through all this the images stopped sometimes for longer than a second and Ichigo would see himself at some point or the other staring into space. And he knew himself well enough to understand that it was something wrong with that brooding picture, even if he was, in fact, a well known brooder. Still, he could only blink continuously, hoping against hope for the nth time in his life that whatever this was would pass and leave him alone. He did not need any more premonitions or any kind of that shit, but he was still present enough to recognize that none of those images held any war or type of conflict besides a small fight here and there. But nothing that was dangerous or included his impending survival and he could only be glad for that.

The pull intensified, resulting in a headache and he was equal parts annoyed as he was concerned that this shit would be the thing that'd finally kill him – Yhwach's ultimate revenge of showing him the future and killing him before he could live any of it. Though just when it became too much to bear, he decided to stop fucking blinking and closed his eyes tightly instead, concentrating on stopping those images from entering his head and murdering him. It worked somehow and at long last that unknown force started losing its strength. Ichigo felt as if a tightly knit thread unraveled from around his brain just before it managed to squeeze it and he could only breathe a sigh of relief as the light dissipated, leaving the battlefield in its wake with Yhwach's blackened and cut body melting away like a grease stain under the sun. He barely registered Aizen standing in front of him, looking for once baffled at the expression he must have worn, but after such a traumatic experience coupled with the foreboding future-seeing to boot, Ichigo wanted to tell the guy to cut him some slack.

The only thing he managed to say, though, was something entirely different and infinitely stupid. But in that moment it felt important enough for him to point it out.

"You saved my life." His voice was scratchy and his throat hurt as much as every part of his body like he had eaten sand and gravel. He must have looked pretty funny for Aizen to make him take that step back before he shook his head slightly as if thinking better of it and decided to take two steps forward instead with a rather uncanny face of someone just slapped and told he was someone's father.

Ichigo felt his knees buckling underneath him as his mind worked out such useless facts and another light passed before his eyes. The last thing he felt was the world tilting ninety degrees as he fell.

* * *

Ichigo's eyes opened to a completely white landscape and he absently growled under his breath.

"Come on, it's not _that_ bad!" A voice full of mirth exclaimed from somewhere in front of him and Ichigo stood up quickly, inwardly marveling at the ease he could move with. Though another look around and he concluded that he was indeed in some kind of dream or inner world, so of course this was the case. "Well, that is if you're not dead like me."

The guy chuckled like that joke was one of his favorites, though Ichigo couldn't see what was so funny in admitting you were dead. He dared take one step forward and frowned when someone materialized in front of him like a veil being lifted up from over his eyes. The furrow of his brow deepened when he realized who it was and was tempted to say that the guy got the wrong person.

"I should congratulate you first, of course." Kaien Shiba chirped from his spot on the ground. He patted the space in front of him, inviting Ichigo to sit cross-legged and face him like an old friend.

The substitute Shinigami got the feeling that this was definitely a joke, but decided to roll with it.

"How come you-?"

"Am here? When I should be dead? Why I'm not haunting Rukia-chan's dreams?" The former noble rested his head on his palm, looking more amused than Ichigo felt was really necessary. "Well, that's because I wished to meet you! Or was it the other way around, Ichigo?"

Ichigo would have lied his way out of this except… he had no real reason to. He was tired and decidedly not in the mood.

"I guess so?" Even he wasn't sure what was what anymore. "So what now?"

Kaien's face melted into something resembling a soft smile that got Ichigo feeling even more uncomfortable.

"I don't suppose I can just tell you to become the head of my clan."

Ichigo snorted long before his cousin finished the rest of the sentence. His mouth opened, but he figured Kaien didn't need more apologies.

"I should have expected that in all honesty." The guy sighed, looking more tired than even Ichigo was supposed to be at that moment. "Then I should offer one piece of advice so my coming here wouldn't be useless in the end." The black haired man declared, lifting a finger up and looking like a real preacher.

The younger Shinigami fought against his desire to faint again and decided to listen to the last words of his deceased cousin out of respect. It was the least he could do and not seem like a real douche. Plus, he doubted that he could get out of there before Kaien was done with him. At least those disturbing images couldn't get him here.

"Don't forget about the heart!" Kaien's index finger was pointing straight at his heart.

Ichigo opened his mouth, wanting oh-so-much to ask just what in the world this should mean now, but Kaien's body – or image? – was steadily disappearing just like Rukia's had years ago and he swallowed against the lump in his throat. He did not trust himself enough to speak, but he allowed himself to take those words to heart and nodded shakily.

Kaien winked before his image completely faded away along with Ichigo's consciousness.

* * *

Waking up felt like being beaten half to death over and over again. Everything ached like a bitch and he barely could tell the difference between colors, but everyone had been kind enough to offer him a semblance of space as he drifted in and out of bouts of awareness.

Isane told him he had been out of it for three days straight and Ichigo was more than happy when he was finally allowed to exit that damned tent serving as a makeshift hospital. He barely took three steps before everyone was on him.

"Took you long enough!" Renji could have been a little more helpful, but the guy was injured enough as it was so he let it slide this time.

The rest of his friends were still scattered over Seiretei's ruins, either helping or being nursed back to health. He applauded the Fourth Division's tenacity in this case and would have helped himself, but too many people were dragging him around to congratulate him, to chat or mourn fallen comrades. He did not think he would ever be able to get over Urahara's death. And neither would Yoruichi as it seemed.

He'd lie if he said that he exited that tent completely fine, but the last thing he wanted to do was to tell Isane that his vision sometimes flashed white and he had time to see _those images again_ before they disappeared like nothing happened. They started coming less and less over the time of their stay in Soul Society and now he didn't even need to stop walking when they came. He had unwillingly gotten used to it, but that did not mean he liked it any bit and he also decided to refrain from thinking what they could mean.

One of the first things the remaining Gotei 13 set out to do was seal Aizen again. The whole process seemed tiring enough and Ichigo wasn't planning on staying around for it, but then the guy started negotiating his way through things and the substitute found himself in a quite difficult position. Everyone was shaking their heads, silently telling him to shut up and let lifelong convicts remain convicts, but Ichigo could not deny that Aizen had really saved his life back there and when he could have killed him after he lost consciousness he did not… or chose not to.

Rukia had told him that their squad found them after almost an hour of searching through the Seiretei – at a point when Yhwach's portal had long since vanished – and the image of him out cold on the ground, Renji a little further away and Aizen looking down at him like he was seeing two heads instead of one was described by the petite lieutenant as quite the strange landscape indeed.

So he explained exactly what happened and let the council decide. Whether Aizen's sword would be sealed along with his powers and then dumped him in the World of the Living and kept under observation or not was not something he wanted to consider right then. He was conflicted about having Aizen as a neighbor enough as it was.

Almost two weeks had passed until they were ready to return to the World of the Living, though Ichigo felt like a lifetime had passed – hopefully, that would not be the case, of course.

"I guess we'll see you guys around." Rukia was saying, looking all smug behind that battered form and he would have rolled his eyes were it not for that cursed flashing again accompanied by an image of him standing on a grassy hill under a tree and looking at something that awfully resembled a gravestone. Instead, his fingers enclosed tighter around his badge.

He could feel Rukia giving him a suspicious and weird glare, but he huffed and turned away, not wanting his discomfort to be known lest the nosy midget picked up on what was happening and got him to confess everything before being dumped in a mental facility. She could be irritatingly accurate in everything concerning him lately.

"You should go see what they want, Kurosaki."

Ishida's words snapped him from his brooding and Ichigo looked back long enough to spot a head full of blue hair and another one wearing a skull.

* * *

"We're going back to Hueco Mundo." Those were Grimmjow's first words accompanied by a dark scowl and no nonsense attitude that Ichigo should have honestly expected.

"Um, good?" Because he didn't know what else to say.

"I hope there aren't any Quincies in Hueco Mundo left. Maybe we will find that woman Halibel, too." Nelliel was saying, face a mask of concern before she turned towards him with a tearful expression. "I will miss you, Ichigo!"

She sniffed, throwing her arms around him and almost squeezing him to death.

"Y-Yeah, me too, Nell!"

Grimmjow snorted at his squeaky voice, but Ichigo made sure to level him a good old glare.

"Maybe you can visit sometimes." The substitute Shinigami offered, more for Nelliel's benefit.

"What, come back here? Doubt they'd let us you idiot." The blue haired Espada crossed his arms, but something in Ichigo's expression must have given it away because his face raced from suspicious to incredulous to irate in the space of three seconds.

"Don't fucking tell me that after all this shit you're hauling your ass back to the Living World!"

So Ichigo – not one to be impolite – told him that he was indeed planning on doing just that. By the end of his story Grimmjow was shaking his head like if he had just witnessed something disturbing enough to call it a day. Fortunately Nelliel was only smiling encouragingly at him.

"Fucking incredulous…" The blue haired man was still looking doubtful as he walked away, murmuring to himself absently similar strings of words.

Nell offered him one last hug before following Grimmjow towards the gate the Twelfth Division had opened for them.

Ichigo watched them disappear through it before returning to the group waiting by the Senkaimon.

"Ginjo and the others are nowhere to be seen. I guess they left as fast as they came." Ishida was saying, but Ichigo knew that the bastard only had one favor to return and he was pretty sure now that it would be a long time until he'd ever see one of them again. _If_ he would see any of them again.

"Wipe that stupid expression off your face, Ichigo!"

Rukia's shout was the last thing he heard as they stepped through the gate and he suppressed a smile and replaced it with a scowl and a few chosen words. Though he knew that his face must have been pretty stricken for her to say that. In the last few days she had decidedly overlooked them, but he could tell they were starting to bother her, too.

The trip was uneventful save a few of the cursed flashes. The portal opened to a random street in Karakura, somewhere close to Urahara's shop and he allowed a breath of relief at the familiarity of it all. The rest of their friends were waiting for them there and Ichigo almost smiled before he detected the slightly uncomfortable aura around them and knew, knew that his would-be peaceful life was not to last with that man leaning against a concrete fence with a smirk on his face.

Needless to say, Aizen learned a lot faster than Rukia at least.

* * *

The sun was high up in the sky when he crouched down in front of the engraved gravestone. He prayed for a few minutes before opening his eyes and rested them on his mother's gravestone. Ichigo allowed a sad smile to pass over his lips before he started recounting everything that has happened in the war in minute detail. It served as a sort of therapy for him, too and he was thankful for the unseen ear he imagined was listening to all of his troubles. They proved many and tough to deal with, but something about that place offered him enough reassurance and strength to try and carry on for a little while longer.

He wasn't sure what the feelings swimming around his chest were. There was a sort of desperate happiness that it was mingled with a certain amount of sadness at everything that had been lost and something akin to a depressive aura was surely swimming around him as well. But he couldn't hope to control it yet – maybe later down the line when he had everything figured out, but Ichigo didn't know when _that_ would be, seeing as this everything felt like a mountain looming over him, threatening to engulf and suffocate him with unrelenting insistence.

His mouth snapped shut sometime after the sun had disappeared under the line of the horizon and he smiled despite his throat feeling raw from the continuous talking. Nevertheless, he felt a boulder lift from his chest and allowed himself to relax, ignoring another flash stubbornly. Since coming back, they were infrequent, but still insistent and _there_. Another scar from the war – not physical, but psychical and he didn't know if he should laugh or be consumed by despair.

"You will do fine, Ichigo."

His father's voice scared the crap out of him and he abstained from throttling the old man. Instead Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the bag on his back and eyed his Shinigami clothes warily.

"Leaving?" He hoped he did not look pitiful, but Isshin's presence had been surprisingly helpful in his new quest to return to a semblance of normal.

Isshin grinned down at him, gaze holding something Ichigo couldn't decipher in that moment.

"I've got to make a few visits, inconvenience a couple of relatives. Put myself on the radar again, you know?" The older Kurosaki's smug smirk would surely end him in the Fourth Division's makeshift hospital, Ichigo was sure.

But he supposed his father did have a point.

"Don't worry, if you miss me you can call anytime!" Isshin laughed at his son's dissenting expression and knew that the kid would do just fine without him.

"Take care, son!"

Ichigo watched the old man's retreating back until it was lost in the sea of darkness. He allowed his head to turn slowly towards the gravestone and pursed his lips. He felt like an eternity passed, but he didn't trust himself to look away from the characters written on the memorial stone. Finally, he lifted one clenched fist and gently bumped the warm surface.

"I will do my best." He promised, the moon and the cemetery the only witnesses as his words got lost in the calm night.

* * *

"A boarding high school?" Ichigo blinked at Yuzu's excited face before turning to Karin's scowling one.

"Don't look so shocked now!"

"Karin!" Her brown haired twin admonished, though not unkindly. She then looked up at her confused older brother and addressed him with a broad smile, even if her eyes were sad at first. "We've been talking about this for a while. You can only enter through an exam. Dad agreed to let us try and we did it!"

Ichigo took a moment to process this information before slowly nodding. He did not have any right in stopping his little sisters anyway, but he was still shocked at the suddenness of the whole thing.

"Where is it?"

"In Tokyo technically." Karin took it upon herself to answer. "So we'll not be so far away from home. But it has lots of other campuses around Japan. And it's easier to get into a good college from there."

The two watched their brother munch on the information for another while, hoping that they managed to make the announcement in the best way so as to not give Ichigo another thing to worry about. They knew that he had been through too many things in such a short while, but Isshin had waved off their objections of leaving him alone. Ichigo would be fine, he had said, their brother just needed to figure out things for himself – they've done all they could for him until now.

The twins could point out a few flaws in their father's plan, but relented in the end, seeing as the old man was not going to take no for an answer.

"Are you," Yuzu had doubts for a moment, but plunged on when her brother's attention shifted to her, "going to be fine without us? And dad?"

Karin saw Yuzu bit her lip at the crestfallen expression Ichigo sported in that second, but she had seen him with worse ones in the last month since he had returned home. It seemed like he wasn't quite aware of making them, though that was not reassuring in the least. She watched silently as it quickly melted away into a serene smile.

"'Course!" Ichigo nodded somewhat jerkily, but he blamed it on the latest flash-forward. "I have to figure out what to do from now on anyway."

Ichigo watched his sisters smile back at him, their faces assuring him silently that they will be always there if he needed them. And despite the mounting pressure he could feel crawling back on his shoulders, Ichigo was truly grateful.

* * *

The days alone were easier to deal with when he had enough things to do to keep him occupied from thinking about wars or sudden flashbacks. He tried to keep himself as busy as it was humanly possible and it worked splendidly for a while.

He managed to graduate high school with lots of luck and many thanks to Ms. Ochi for taking pity on him and offering him one week more than the rest to catch up on everything he had to study for the final exams. He managed to pass, though it was a close race seeing as his grade was exactly on the passing line. He was the last on the list, but hey, he did it at least and he was proud enough for the score when he had been fighting a maniac that wanted to destroy the world just one month and a half ago. After that, there was only one college he was willing to do so he studied his brains off and managed to get in against all of his expectations.

Now it's been three years since then and Ichigo swore that medicine was a lot harder than anything he had expected. And it was probably out to finish him, if the mountains of papers sitting on his desk that he had to memorize by the end of the week were any hint. But it kept him occupied enough to not think about battlefields and worse, feelings and people he hadn't seen since those times.

Ichigo racked a hand through his decidedly too long bangs as he worked on the latest sheet of paper and cursed under his breath. His foot tapped ceaselessly under his desk and his hands continued to move mindlessly around, searching for something to do. He wondered if one could get ADHD, then scowled as he realized he had to study about that, too. With a resounding bang, his head dropped on his table, though his foot remained in motion, undisturbed by his behavior.

Blinking back another flash, Ichigo groaned and hauled himself towards his bed, resolving to stare at the ceiling in the hope that it would provide the answers he needed. It's been _three_ _years_ and he still hadn't gotten any closer to not jumping in the way to save someone or fighting random thugs in alleyways. Even though he considered this to be a service to the community, the disturbing fact was that he did not have the patience for much anymore. The need to move constantly was growing and he would lie if he said he didn't itch to spare with someone again. Hiyori and the remaining Vizards were rather unhelpful since every time he went there to challenge one of them, they threw him out in the street without another glance.

 _Rude, very rude._

Ichigo let his mind wander now that he had given up trying to study and his thoughts turned towards a long forgotten conversation from years ago.

" _Don't forget about the heart!"_

Though what Kaien had wanted that to mean, he wasn't sure even now. He turned his head and fixed his gaze on the badge at the edge of his desk, wondering what all these mysteries meant and why he was suddenly not seeing himself being a doctor. He supposed the answer might be simple, but he had thought that having seen so much blood and gruesome wounds until now, working around them wouldn't make much difference.

It didn't feel the same anymore… not when he had flashbacks with fights and wars whenever he so much as spotted one. Blood seemed repulsive more than ever now. And things that should have been interesting were not making much sense in his newly impatient mind. With another groan, he faced away from the worktable cluttered with everything he needed to do and considered his dreams, possibilities and wishes one more time.

* * *

"Where did you even sprout from?" Ichigo looked down at the dirty, beaten and ripped plush toy with no small amount of incredulity.

"Shut your trap, you bastard! You didn't even search for me!" Kon's yells were promptly ignored as Ichigo turned away from the room and yawned, pushing down a sudden image of him staring down at a broken pill.

"You managed to find your way back so it's no big deal. Close the door behind you, will you?"

Actually, this could work in his favor somehow or the other. Now he only had to convince Ishida to do his bidding and his friends to take care of the perverted monster. Even if he decided to leave, it didn't mean that he wanted his body in jail and reputation completely destroyed.

* * *

It was late spring when he finally made up his mind. Not being one to wander around more than needed and surely not trusting himself to have second thoughts now of all times, Ichigo figured some visits were in order.

His eyes spotted the cheerfully decorated bakery just as he rounded the corner. It was the flashiest door on the rather gloomy street and he smiled at the pure Orihime-ness of the place. She must enjoy working there for sure.

"Kurosaki-kun!" The orange haired girl smiled widely and waved him over from behind the counter.

Ichigo lifted a hand in greeting and stepped closer with a smile.

"This place looks great! What happened with the muffin shop, though?" Last time he had seen Orihime, she had been almost promoted head manager at another bakery shop near the shopping mall.

"I'm head manager there now! So now I have more time and I decided to get one more job!" Orihime looked embarrassed, but he truly applauded her ambition. She was working harder than any of them, but as long as she was happy he was sure everything would be just fine.

He swallowed down the sudden flash of blinding orange light that appeared in front of his eyes and said. "Then I'm not going to keep you from your job too long. I just came to tell you something."

* * *

The gym down the street looked pretty desolate on the outside, but Ichigo knew that the inside was way better and cozier. The entire room was full of boxing equipment, but he was surprised to see little kids running around the place now.

"This is new." Ichigo raised an inquiring eyebrow at Chad.

His oldest friend shrugged and smiled. "There were lots of requests."

"And your concerts?"

Besides training kids to protect their precious people through boxing, Chad was steadily gaining success in the local bars through his guitar performances. Ichigo was glad to hear that his friend hadn't abandoned the instrument even though he had given up on it long ago.

Chad nodded reassuringly. "I'm fine."

Ichigo knew that this was not entirely related to his guitar concerts.

"Though you don't seem fine, Ichigo."

He didn't know if this was about the sudden pulsing of his eye or the sour expression on his face, but for once the substitute Shinigami couldn't disagree.

* * *

"You should knock before entering a room, idiot."

Ichigo abstained from laughing out loud at Ishida's scowling expression. He looked over at the crowded desk that so reminded him of his own and smirked.

"So you decided to become a doctor in the end." It wasn't a question, but Ichigo was surely starting to envy his friend's patience.

The Quincy sighed, his study session apparently over. He swiveled in his seat and finally got a good look at the irritating orange haired fool. Needless to say, he got the urge to scowl again and kick his ass.

"Yes, I suppose one of us has to become one. And by your pitiful face, I can see that it falls on me."

Ichigo bit back a nasty comeback and instead lowered himself in an empty chair at the other side of the hospital office room.

"I guess so. What about a short talk to tell you about those other things I want to do that will fall on you in the end?"

Ishida took one good look at the guy's fake smirk and pained face and pushed his irritation down as best as he could. He supposed he could listen to Kurosaki's final request, if nothing else.

Taking in the expectant silence, Ichigo took his cue. "How about I begin with these sudden flashes behind my eyes, _doctor_."

* * *

Ichigo studied the Senkaimon spreading in front of him with a kind of reverence he usually reserved for very important things and situations. Though he supposed this might as well be one of them, but he'd never admit that out loud.

Ishida looked ready to push him through it by the end of five minutes and Ichigo took extra care to make sure his friend was irritated enough to not forget him too soon.

"Make sure you write to us, Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime offered a shaky smile which was reciprocated with a small, truthful one from the Shingami. "I hoped Tatsuki-chan could have made it, though."

"Everyone is pretty busy right now, so it doesn't matter. I've said my goodbyes to them."

"You're gonna be fine, Ichigo." This time, Chad's thumbs up were entirely welcomed.

"I'm just happy that your demure face will be finally out of sight." Ishida grumbled and Ichigo tried hard not to start arguing with him now.

He opted to give his friends another smile and a nod.

"I will make sure to visit sometimes."

"Make it extra rare, I have to get to enjoy this body, y'know?" His body with Kon's soul was as unpleasant as always, but Ichigo convinced himself that it was the only way.

"Later!" He waved as he turned around and stepped through the gate.

This time, the passage lasted longer, but it brought a strange sense of calm to wash over him that kept him occupied enough. By the time he was passing over the threshold and into the spirit realm, the pressure in his head was starting to bother him again and the white light of the doorway mixed with a familiar flash that lasted long enough to let him gaze at a long, traditional hall bathed in the warm light of the summer sun. Fields of grass spawned in the distance and the lulling sound of falling water helped to complete the tranquil image.

His eyes slid lower and he found himself standing right behind a raven haired woman. Her hair was long and cascaded on her back in rebellious waves that seemed to refuse to stay put. She held a tiny hand and he realized it was a kid around seven with a mop of shocking orange hair that threatened to fall on the kid's small shoulders. They were wearing some kind of ceremonial clothes embroidered with multicolored flowery aspects and were walking leisurely along the porch.

The scene disappeared as abruptly as it came from his mind and Ichigo blinked, marveling at the newfound peace inside his mind as he absently looked at wreckage – organized wreckage. In the distance, the Sōkyoku monument was standing tall, looming over the numerous construction sites.

"We just finished it!" A voice in front of him announced proudly.

Rukia's hair was visibly longer, but her smirk was unchanged and nostalgic. "Welcome back, strawberry."

Ichigo took a moment to reply, feeling as the pull started uncoiling again and fading with the strong wind that blew through the Seiretei and he knew that it would be the last time those strange flashes would ever bother him.

For the first time in what felt like too long, he grinned.

"Yeah. I'm back."

* * *

 **A/N: Please tell me your thoughts, reviews and feedback are loved! OwO**

 **Man it feels like a long time since I've posted something. But I _had_ to get this out of my system.**

 **Also, for those who read my One Piece fics, I have _ten_ (yes... ten ;-;) that need to be worked on, but I got an extreme bout of lazyness. I promise to participate in the upcoming writing events for OP, but until inspiration strikes I will return to Heroes of Olympus and my new obsession - Percy Jackson XD**

 **Bye!**


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